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Insights > Bringing History to Life…or More than a Decent Docent
Bringing History to Life…or More than a Decent Docent
07/13/2016
Steve Kelly, retired Entergy Mississippi community development manager, has had a deep-rooted love of history since he was a child, inheriting his fascination from his father. “I love history. My dad loved history, and I believe I think that I picked up on this as a kid,” said Steve.
Steve graduated from Mississippi State in 1969 with all intentions to teach history; he received a degree in the Teaching of Secondary School Social Studies. However, he never had a chance to do so. Right after college, he enlisted in the military, and after returning to the states from Vietnam, he started his career. Steve eventually retired from Entergy at the end of 2013, with 27 years of service.
Retirement allowed Steve to finally put his love of history to use. In early 2014, he contacted The Mississippi Department of Archives and History for volunteer opportunities, and they suggested that he should be a tour guide at the State Capitol, one of the most historic buildings in downtown Jackson and one of the most beautiful in the nation. “I didn’t even know they did tours at the State Capitol,” said Steve. “The volunteer coordinator said that I’d be good at it.”
The coordinator was right; Steve was a natural. “I carried notes with me while giving my first tour, but it was too much trouble. So I decided just to wing it,” he said. “After you get the first two out of the way, you feel pretty comfortable.”
Steve loved volunteering so much that he soon began giving tours at the Governor’s Mansion (the second oldest continuously occupied governor’s residence in the United States) and the Eudora Welty House (the actual home of the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer). He now volunteers about eight hours a week.
Steve doesn’t have a favorite site. “The locations all have different appeals to me,” he said. “The State Capitol is a magnificent building with lots of good architecture. The Mansion has beautiful furniture and a great history. The Eudora Welty House is very intimate, and I can make more of a connection with the people on tour. The house is displayed so that it feels like Eudora was there yesterday. The gardens are also beautiful and were restored to its 1940s peak.”
Interested in volunteering for MDAH? Email Elizabeth Coleman at ecoleman@mdah.state.ms.us or call 601-576-6985.
PHOTOS BELOW: Steve Kelly gives of a tour of the Governor's Mansion to Patrick and Monica Fox from Chicago.
